An engine mounted on a motorcycle is deformed by its own heat. The deformation may be slight, but in operation it is significant. With particular reference to a V-shaped engine, it is necessary to provide means for absorbing any variation in the spacing between the cylinders when suspending the cylinders from a frame in order to mount the engine. When elastic means is used to suspend the cylinders from the frame, however, the frame itself must be sufficiently rigid to withstand the load, thereby disadvantageously increasing the overall weight of the vehicle.
In view of this situation, it is an object of this invention to provide an engine-supporting structure applicable to a motorcycle provided with a V-shaped engine which has a front cylinder and a rear cylinder disposed longitudinally of one another along the forward axis of the motorcycle. The structure is highly rigid, light in weight, and capable of absorbing fully the thermal deformation of the engine. This objective is attained by a structure comprising a frame surrounding the area above and behind the engine, and to which the front cylinder and the rear portion of a crank case are secured, and elastic means by which the rear cylinder is supported on the frame.
The above and other features of the invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which :